Birds of a Feather
by TheOtherGenesis
Summary: Kenpachi goes to his home district after a string of killings suggests foul play in what is already a foul place.
1. Chapter 1

It has been a couple of months, since the Soul Society fought off the Quincies, lead by Yhwach. Most were back to their former lives, but the 13 Squads continued to work towards erasing any trace left from the Quincies' rampage through Soul Society.

Today, as any other day, the captains of each squad held the daily meeting to delegate duties, discuss any reports and any concerns.

The captains from Squads 2 through 13 formed two lines, in front the Captain Commander's position, one line consisting of captains from odd-numbered squads and the other even-numbered squads, each line looking at the other. Every captain standing in complete silence, while waiting for the Captain-Commander to start the meeting.

However, Captain Commander Kyōraku did not seem to be in any hurry, as he laid back on the floor, where he should stand, with a bottle of sake in his right hand and a cup of sake in his left.

Some captains were wondering if they should walk out and face any punishment for insubordination, while others wondered what path one would need to take, in order for sake as breakfast became the norm.

Among the former, was Kenpachi Zaraki, the captain of Squad 11. As the leader of the physically strongest Squad, he was already tired of the new Captain Commander. Yamamoto, the former Captain Commander, was more battle-minded and keen of solving problems with prejudice, to discourage others from trying something similar.

His successor, on the other hand, was by far the laziest soul around, who would avoid even the slightest issue and hope it resolve itself or go away.

Kyōraku took the final sip of his cup and started the meeting. Every other captain thought thoughts of relief at the sight. Today's order of business was largely unchanged from previous days.

Squad 4 was to continue healing those critically wounded, Squad 12 was to continue their research of salvaged Quincy items that would aid them all in bettering their systems for the future.

Every other Squad was sent out to rebuild the districts' housing and aid in whatever way presented it, on location. Except Squad 11, which was tasked with a specific mission that differed.

They had to go to the North Alley's 80th district, named Zaraki, and look into reports about extreme cases of violence and a large death toll inconsistent with both the Quincies' invasion throughout other districts and its normal rate of violence.

Kenpachi felt a grin showing on his face, as he remembered his name-sake place as where he started hunting for the strongest foe to battle. He hoped these reports arised due to someone else looked for a battle of strength.

When he was told to bring several members of his Squad, the grin diminished somewhat, as the mere thought of being slowed down or not getting the full battle with anyone potentially strong, almost made Kenpachi pop a vein.

After trying to debate with the half-drunk Captain Commander, who had already gone back to his bottle of sake, after dismissing the captains, Kenpachi gave up on getting his way and likened the experience to that of headbutting the ground in an attempt to split the planet in two.

Outside of the captains' meeting room, where most lieutenants waiting for their respective captain and whatever order they had received by Kyōraku .

Among them was Yachiru, Kenpachi's lieutenant, waiting with her usual happy expression at the sight of Kenpachi. She was no taller than Kenpachi's knee, and kept pace with him by taking her usual spot, hanging onto Kenpachi's left shoulder.

He explained on the way to their squad's headquarter what they were tasked with and she suggested bringing some of the new guys, both to see if they were strong and to cull the herd if not.

While it sounded intriguing, the immediate thought of getting an earful from the other captains, countered it and Kenpachi opted instead for bringing the four strongest of his squad. Himself, his lieutenant, Ikkaku and Yumichika.

This way, any trouble would be dealt with, swiftly. Regardless of how fun it would or could be.


	2. Chapter 2

Although the captains' meeting started at dawn, and lasted less than an hour, Kenpachi and Yachiru didn't arrive at their headquarter until much later in the day.

"What took you guys so long?" inquired Yumichika, as he had been sitting around and simply waiting for the day's order of business.

"Never mind that, find Ikkaku, we got our orders" Kenpachi said "Someone is making a mess in the Zaraki district."

"Do you think it's someone you knew, when you lived there, Captain?" Yumichika asked with slight dread in his voice as he didn't look forward to the unruliness of that particular district.

"Hopefully not" Kenpachi replied after some moments of thinking back, "I hope they're someone strong."

Of all the inhabitants of the Zaraki district, when Kenpachi lived there, if anyone aspired to be the strongest, he had already challenged them.

None survived.

Kenpachi's delayed arrival was due to him and Yachiru attempting to take a detour from the meeting room, but ended up visiting two other squads' headquarters and at some point ended up back at the meeting room.

Because of this, they had already wasted too much time. Kenpachi wanted to find out who managed to create this much of a ruffle, in the area that usually breeds the strongest fighter.

Rather than locating him, Yumichika remained at his initial position and simply yelled across the headquarter to get the attention of a sleeping Ikkaku, taking a nap after a training session.

In a few moments, the sound of stampeding elephants became louder, originating from their sleeping quarters. The door separating the main hall and the hallway was kicked from its hinges and flew across the room.

Standing, where the door once was, was an Ikkaku dressed in his undergarments, while holding his bed in both hands above his head.

"I WILL KILL YOU, you motherffff…" Ikkaku yelled, but stopped mid-sentence as he noticed his captain standing next to who he considers Soul Society's most annoying, while seeing Yachiru outside, in Kenpachi's background, whose attention was captured by a butterfly colored similar to her hair.

It took Ikkaku a few seconds, before he realized what it all looked like, but once it hit him, he threw the bed to his side, rushed back for his uniform and returned in the blink of an eye.

"What are your orders, Captain?" Ikkaku asked, while kneeling in the same doorway as he stood at before, just better dressed, hoping nothing more would come of what was witnessed by a silent Kenpachi and a Yumichika, that did his best to suppress an unending laughter.

"If you're done being a joke to this squad, get ready to head out", Kenpachi said and turned his attention to the door that stood no chance against Ikkaku's kick, "And, you're cleaning this up, when we get back"

'Understood, captain'.

It didn't take long before they were all set and ready, outside their headquarters. Since they had wasted much time, first because Kenpachi and Yachiru took the scenic route to their headquarters, followed by the shenanigans from Yumichika and Ikkaku, Kenpachi was eager to get going.

So much, so he told Yachiru to hang to his shoulder and took the biggest leap he could, without completely shattering the take-off area. Since Ikkaku was fixing the door, it wouldn't kill him to fix a few tiles as well.

Finding the Zaraki district would be no chore, since it's the one farthest from the center, so Kenpachi figured they could leap until they reached the complete outskirts of the district.

It could three leaps to cross the 80 districts, yet when Kenpachi arrived, a sense of confusion snarled in the back of his head. While people were wearing ragged clothing, they lacked a specific aura, that only those in the Zaraki district had.

As he was looking for something he recognized, Ikkaku caught up, with Yumichika the following moment, both huffing for air, after trying to keep up with their captain.

"Captain, why did we head south?" Ikkaku tried to ask, using what air he had managed to breathe in.


	3. Chapter 3

While Kenpachi had leaped his way there, Yumichika and Ikkaku had used Shunpo to effortlessly cover distances, but due to them having to cover great distance and keeping up with Kenpachi, they had to use it several times in quick succession, each time still lagging behind their captain.

That combination could get the better of all but the most skilled Shunpo user, among which were neither Yumichika nor Ikkaku. One trained on making their fighting style more elegant and beautiful, while the other trained to simply get stronger.

"Stupid Ken-chan, you got lost, didn't you?" Yachiru, still latched to Kenpachi's shoulder, mockingly asked, "We should have gone in that direction" she continued, while pointing westward.

Before Kenpachi started to run in the direction Yachiru pointed, Ikkaku pointed out that going in the direction they came from would be quicker, as opposed to run around and through the Western Alley's 80th district.

This time, Ikkaku and Yumichika had a clearer destination and could more easily Shunpo ahead, since Kenpachi probably wouldn't be long after them, due to his own speed.

They stood atop a run-down shelter as they were waiting for their captain and lieutenant to show up. Neither were in Ikkaku's or Yumichika's sight from the southbound direction they themselves arrived from.

While Yumichika sat down, Ikkaku kept standing, as to not lower his guard, when they were in unruly territory.

Instead of arriving from the same direction as Ikkaku and Yumichika, Kenpachi was spotted approaching from the east, with Yachiru on his left shoulder. On the way there, he seemed to have picked somebody else up, as Kenpachi carried a seemingly unconscious guy in his left hand.

When they arrived, it became clear the guy had come after Kenpachi, since his ragged shirt was covered in blood.

"Don't let your guard down", Kenpachi said as he dumped the nearly unconscious guy on ground.

"What happened?!" Ikkaku asked while drawing his sword. "Not sure yet, but this guy said he was told someone strong from Seireitei would come."

"Sounds like we're expected"

"Indeed. Which means that whoever is doing this, is prepared for a fight" Kenpachi said with a grin of excitement on his face, as somebody was clearly confident in their strength enough to pick a fight with the 13 squads.

The guy Kenpachi had dropped slowly got on his feet and revealed several bruises and scars on his face, chest and arms. Some were new, courtesy of Kenpachi, others were older. This guy has clearly seen his share of fights. Without ease, thanks to the bruises and scars, he managed to bring out a smile, "Ever since he got here, our boss has been training and preparing to become the strongest in Soul Society", he said while trying to keep his balance.

"And where can we find this boss of yours?" Kenpachi asked, having only grown more excited at the sound of who he could be dealing with.

The guy pointed in direction of Kenpachi, "That way, until you notice a giant shed. There'll probably be a bunch of guys out front, so you won't miss it"

"What kind of 'Soul Society's strongest' have guards posted?" Ikkaku scuffed.

"They aren't guards", the wounded guy said, "They're either unconscious or dead, thanks to a beating from our boss"


	4. Chapter 4

Kenpachi and the three others were just about to leave and follow the directions they were given, but Kenpachi still lacked one piece of information.

As he turned around to his involuntary informant, Kenpachi saw that he would have to forgo this information; The guy had passed out, due to his wounds.

"Pff, how useless" Kenpachi scoffed. At least, he'd been given directions to where the source of this trouble could be found.

Yachiru jumped back up on her usual stop, after poking at the informant, just to make sure he wasn't faking it and the group started walking in the direction they were given.

As they walked down the district's main street, both Yumichika and Ikkaku couldn't help but notice the number of prying eyes that were on them, and the aura those eyes carried. This was very different from where they lived, before becoming Shinigami.

The eyes didn't seem to bother neither Kenpachi nor Yachiru, though this was likely due to Kenpachi once living here and Yachiru simply not caring.

They had walked for a mile, when they came upon a shed larger than any other in the area. This was probably the place their informant meant. The stench of death and two bodies outside the shed pointed in that direction.

Nearing the shed, a few voices in the shadows whispered about how the group had a death wish for going this way, others commented on Kenpachi's weathered captain cloak.

"About time you lazy punks bothered sending someone. Aren't you supposed to guard this place?" A voice in the shadows said, while light hit a cleaver where the voice came from.

Ikkaku turned towards with his sword and guard up, but Kenpachi continued forward, not bothering with even reacting to the comments.

"Ikkaku, don't bother with those weak scums." Kenpachi said. "They're not worth the effort."

"If you say so, Captain" Ikkaku responded and sped up to end up walking ahead of Kenpachi. When they were about to enter the shed, Ikkaku was the first to enter. Kenpachi and Yachiru was second, and Yumichika was last.

The shed was a single room, it had no windows, and was dimly lit by a faint bonfire in the center. In the back of the room, sitting atop of a pile of bodies, was a barely visible person.

Yumichika covered his nose, due to the stench and hoped whatever fight that were about to happen, would happen outside.

Ikkaku, on the other hand, was a bit more vocal, as he yelled "Oy, asshole! Show yourself! What kind of shi…"

He was cut off, when the person in the back, in the blink of an eye, stood in front of Ikkaku, with a sword nesting on Ikkaku's nose, with just enough force to cut through the skin. Despite the many remarks from Yumichika, in the past, Ikkaku knew full well that his skull wasn't thick enough to stop a blade. When he turned his head, his nose screamed in pain as it was further cut by the blade and Ikkaku recoiled to free himself.

It was then, that Ikkaku saw it wasn't his nose that had stopped the blade, but rather Kenpachi's own blade, which weren't drawn, when they entered the place.

Having gotten closer to light, the guy. that once sat on a throne of humans, could now be seen better. Standing taller than Ikkaku, though not taller than Kenpachi, his salt and pepper hair and chest-length beard carried enough of the atmosphere for Ikkaku to take a step back from the smell.

"Got something you wanna say, kid?" The seemingly elderly man said to Ikkaku, who didn't get to answer, when Kenpachi did so. "Yeah, your fight is with me!"

"And who might you be? I'm guessing a captain of sorts?" The elderly man said and withdrew his sword, as did Kenpachi.

"Of the 11th squad. Kenpachi Zaraki. I found one of your punks on the way, but he never said who you were."

"Name's Kenzo."


	5. Chapter 5

As Kenzo and Kenpachi remained with their swords crossed, their arms moved back and forth, each sizing the other up in strength, via a Zanpakuto-version of arm-wrestling.

"I'm impressed" Kenzo said with a smile.

"I'm not" Kenpachi replied with a frown.

"Let's take this outside, then" Kenzo said. "Better space out there"

"Sure, if it makes you a better fighter."

Their blades were pulled back for a brief moment and then slammed together again with an unrelenting force, which create a shockwave strong enough to blow the shed's walls and roof into surrounding sheds. Yumichika removed his sleeve from his mouth and were delighted to get fresher air again.

Yumichika and Ikkaku made some distance to the fight, as they knew their captain wouldn't hesitate attacking, even if squad-members got in the way. Neither of them could spot Yachiru, but she probably got a good vantage point somewhere.

As the two traded blows, the surrounding area got shaken up in increments due to the shockwaves Kenzo and Kenpachi created, when their swords clashed. A smile began to appear on Kenpachi's face.

Kenzo jumped back to create some space.

"As expected by a captain" he said, with a faintly fatigued voice and sweat starting to show.

"This is starting to become fun." Kenpachi chuckled back. "Where'd you get that sword?"

"Beat me, and I'll tell ya" Kenzo yelled back and charged against Kenpachi. Because of the charge, he had enough momentum to push Kenpachi back.

In retaliation, Kenpachi swung his sword wide, which Kenzo easily dodged, who then used the opening to swing below Kenpachi's sword arm. A hit, one that drew first blood. Kenpachi made several more wide swings, which Kenzo exploited in similar fashion.

Kenpachi's smile began to fade. "Really? Is this all you got?"

"Hadn't really had a chance to properly use swords up until now." A more visible fatigued Kenzo said.

This time it was Kenpachi who charged forth, and at a much faster speed than Kenzo expected, who put up his sword in defense. The first blow was largely deflected, but Kenpachi followed up with a quicker attack. One that disarmed Kenzo and flung his sword heavenward. Kenpachi held his sword to Kenzo's throat.

"Guess that's it, huh? You win" Kenzo said.

"My reward?" Kenpachi said and took his sword down.

"Right." Kenzo said down and properly got his breath back. "A while back, some of you lot came here, some punks who thought they were better than us, just because of that damn sword"

Kenpachi said nothing, but wondered who those 'punks' were. Had they been from his squad, it was for the best if they were dead now, since they'd obviously boasted too much of their strength.

"They never said which squad they were from, but the guy over there" Kenzo continued and pointed to the pile of bodies he used as a throne earlier. "The top guy is… was my sword's owner."

Kenpachi didn't recognize the dead guy, and he didn't seem all that talkative, so Kenpachi thought it best if he is brought back for other squads to see both him and Kenzo.

"So, these guys walk into our homes and starts talking shit, and I figured I'd see if they really were so strong" Kenzo continued. Kenpachi didn't realize the story would be this long and boring, and to his dismay, it didn't seem to over, just yet.

"As you can see, they weren't. Killed them with my bare hands. I've met tougher guys out here, than that bunch."

"Bare hands, huh? That your specialty?" Kenpachi said, with renewed interest and a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I've used my hands for the last few hundred years and only got the sword a few weeks ago"

"Is that so?" Kenpachi said. He held his sword in a straight arm, pointed at Kenzo, only to throw the sword in the direction of Ikkaku. Had there been any hair on his head, it would've been cut by Kenpachi sword, which ended up a shed's wall right behind him.

Kenpachi looked at Kenzo, smiling ear-to-ear.

"Bring it"


	6. Chapter 6

Kenzo and Kenpachi charged each other, with their best hand clenched. The impact caused every nearby shed to rattle. Kenpachi's sword, still sitting in the wall, started cutting downward, in response to the rattling. Ikkaku had stepped aside and took the sword out of the wall.

Neither of the two fighters blocked the other's attacks, but rather dodged it or took the hit straight on. Kenzo lunged forward, aiming for an uppercut. Kenpachi took a step back and, while kneeling forward, landed a punch on Kenzo's chest, who skidded back about a meter.

"Good to see not all from Seireitei is weak." Kenzo smiled, and wiped off the blood on his chin.

"Good to see there's still strong fighters in this district" Kenpachi responded, also smiling.

Both had built up a sweat from exchanging blows for a short while. Kenzo more so, because of his disadvantage during their sword fight.

This time, Kenpachi lunged forward with a fist aimed for Kenzo's head. Kenzo, in turn, sidestepped, avoiding the fist by the width of a hair, and chopped at Kenpachi's head, hitting his eyepatch, which came off and fell to the ground.

"Oh, now you've done it." Ikkaku said, while he and Yumichika retreated, getting further away from the battlefield.

The ground around Kenpachi rumbled, with rubble bouncing around. Without the eyepatch, Kenpachi's limiter was disabled, giving him access to his full reservoir of Reiatsu. There was more Reiatsu than his body could actively contain, and the abundant portion became visible as a large yellow cylindrical beam around Kenpachi, who was now laughing manically.

With each step, Kenpachi left small craters, where ordinary people would leave footprints, at best. Unsure how to deal with this immense force, a frenzied Kenzo ran towards Kenpachi. Kenzo hit Kenpachi's chest, yet it was Kenzo's wrist that made a cracking sound. His fingers were broken as well, as if he had punched a concrete wall.

A sense of breathlessness came over Kenzo, before being hurled to the side, by a kick from Kenpachi. While he tumbled, like a lifeless ragdoll, Kenpachi appeared in his path and dealt another kick, that sent Kenzo airborne. When he got to the height of Kenpachi's chest, Kenzo was hit by a punch on the shoulder, that hit hard enough to shatter the bone, alongside the shoulder blade connected to it.

Kenzo tried to get up, but his body was too damaged to do so, with a leg being fractured from the last punch's aftermath-tumble, thanks to a small rock. Using momentum from the hand he could still use, he pushed himself up to stand on his last remaining good leg.

He was so focused on his balance that when he noticed Kenpachi in front of him, he thought it was too late, but got his functioning arm up as defense, which held as well as a feather would have, against another punch from Kenpachi, who was still laughing like the maniac his appearance made him out to be.

Back on the ground, Kenzo saw the giant yellow pillar of Reiatsu in front of him, which seemed to have a skull-like pattern in it, and came to terms with what would surely be his demise.

"Do it. Finish me." He said, with each word feeling like a spike in his chest, from a broken rib.

Kenpachi stood over Kenzo and readied the final blow. Instead of his head, the blow hit the ground next to Kenzo, with the Reiatsu from Kenpachi's hand etching itself into Kenzo's face, causing a minor burn.

The eyepatch was put back on his eye, and Kenpachi's Reiatsu vanished. Ikkaku handed him his sword back, and Ikkaku and Yumichika grabbed a shoulder each and dragged Kenzo along, following Kenpachi.

"Weaklings aren't worth my time." Kenpachi said. "Besides, there's someone in Soul Society, who wants a word with you."

"Ken-chan!" Yachiru yelled as she came running over to the others and got up on her usual spot.

"Where were you, during the fight?" Ikkaku asked, slightly annoyed by having to carry the lump of an almost unconscious Kenzo.

"Up there, baldy" Yachiru replied and pointed to a two-story building, the only building in the area that hadn't fell victim to Kenpachi's fight.


End file.
